of Dorothy Gayle Harkey by her mother, Margaret Kanauff Morris Harkey, and her father, James
Thomas Harkey. As she grew she got to know her older sibling, Jean, and her many cousins,
particularly on the Morris side, since her mom was one of eight girls.
Gayle started her formal education at Thomasboro Elementary. When the Harkey household
was annexed by the ever expanding Charlotte, she transferred to Enderly Park Elementary and
in the seventh grade moved on to Harding High School, which also contained Junior High
grades seven through nine.
In the eighth grade she met Sam Smith, then called Sammy. Gayle and Sammy were friends
until late in their senior year when they became sweethearts. At the end of that year they were
chosen by their classmates for the superlative of “Most Dependable” seniors. They are pic-
tured in the 1957 Harding High year book leaning back to back supporting each other. Little
did they know then that they would spend over sixty years together in loving support of one
another.
Throughout her life Gayle loved music. She began taking piano lessons at an early age and at
the age of twelve she became the assistant pianist at St. James United Methodist Church. Lat-
er she became the organist at the church. Gayle also loved to sing. With her strong alto voice
she sang in the choirs of each church she attended.
Those who knew Gayle best understood what a kind and gentle person she was. She would
often make significant sacrifices for others. After graduating from high school she attended
Pfeiffer College, but when she and Sam were married she sacrificed the remainder of her aca-
demic career to take a position as a legal secretary so that Sam could continue his studies at
UNC Chapel Hill.
After Sam graduated they returned to Charlotte where their first child, Sharyn Lynn, was born.
Gayle loved having a daughter and also loved buying her clothes and Madam Alexander dolls,
which are still packed away in the attic.
Gayle again sacrificed being close to all of her relatives when she moved to Salt Lake City as
Sam pursued enhanced job opportunities. In Salt Lake they moved into a neighborhood where
they were the only non-Mormon family. Sharyn didn’t understand why she could not attend
Mormon Kindergarten with her new friends. But Gayle melded seamlessly into that community,
making many new friends and enjoying the performances of the Mormon Tabernacle Choir. It
was in Salt Lake that Gayle and Sam had their second child, Philip Lee. As he grew older Philip
took great joy in telling others that he was a Methodist born in a Catholic hospital in a Mormon
city.
After living in Utah for two years the Smith family moved to Columbia, S. C. where Gayle im-
mediately became active in the local Methodist church choir and cherished being close enough
to her parents that she could visit with them and her cousins on weekends. Two years later the
family returned to Charlotte and established their home in the Coulwood community where
they stayed for thirty years. It was there that Gayle established strong roots. She served many
years as P. T. A. President at the various schools that Sharyn and Philip attended. She also re-
turned to St. James United Methodist Church where she became organist. By living in one
place for more than two years Gayle developed long term relationships through various com-
munity groups and clubs. She enjoyed garden club, book club, Silver Sneakers gym class, and
especially her ‘Beach Buddies’ trips with her long time friends.
Always involved in whatever church she attended, Gayle participated in the planning and
launching of a merger that created Assurance United Methodist Church, where she loved par-
ticipating in the choir. At the age of eighty she was still adding her strong alto voice to the wor-
ship services at Assurance.
When Gayle died on September 6th we lost an angel, a kind and gentle soul, a wonderful wife,
a great mom and a loving grandmom.
Gayle was predeceded in death by her mother and father, Margaret and James Harkey, and by
her sister Jean Harkey Kirby. She is survived by her husband, Sam H. Smith, her daughter
Sharyn Smith, her son Philip Smith and his wife Suzette Eppley Smith. She is also survived by
her granddaughter Tyler Joanna Smith and her grandson Wesley Carmichael Smith who were
the joy of her life.
A memorial service for Gayle will be held Friday, September 13th at 1:00 PM at Assurance
United Methodist Church located at 9700 Mt. Holly-Huntersville Rd. A period of visitation will
precede the service at 11:30 AM. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to Assurance
United Methodist Church Choir Fund, 9700 Mt. Holly-Huntersville Rd. Huntersville, NC 28078.
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